Exercise of Options

ALBEMARLE & BOND HOLDINGS PLC

(the "Company")

Exercise of Options by Optionholder

The Company makes the following announcements in respect of an exercise of options today by two employees ("Employees") over an aggregate of 10,300 Ordinary shares of 4p each in the capital of the Company ("Ordinary Shares") granted under the Albemarle & Bond Holdings plc Company Share Option Plan, at an exercise price of 236.5p per share:

1. transfers in respect of an aggregate number of 10,300 Ordinary Shares have been approved from Albemarle & Bond Trustee Limited (the "Trustee") as Trustee of the Albemarle & Bond Pawnbrokers Limited Employee Benefit Trust to the Employee;

2. as a result of the transfers announced above, the Trustee now holds 601,462 Ordinary Shares in the capital of the Company, equivalent to 1.083% of the Company's issued share capital; and

3. B J Stevenson and L K Moran are directors of the Trustee.

Date: 16 January 2012

Enquiries

Albemarle & Bond Holdings plc 0118 955 8100

Barry Stevenson CEO

Collins Stewart Europe Limited 020 7523 8350

Mark Dickenson

Piers Coombs

Cardew Group 020 7930 0777

Tim Robertson

Shan Shan Willenbrock

Catherine Maitland

END